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6 de nov. 2018

There was widespread criticism of the patriotic tone (which was taken to refer to his stance on the Catalan process) in a letter sent by Spain's top judge to a colleague on his deathbed. The latter was in charge of one of the most severely criticised investigations into the organisation of the self-determination referendum on October 1 2017, which he started months ahead of the actual poll. (I hope the agency does not object to this translation, by M.S.)

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Lesmes, in a farewell letter to the judge that investigated the 1-Oct: "You changed the History of our country"

The president of [Spain's] General Council of the Judiciary (CGPJ), Carlos Lesmes, has considered that the judge that investigated the preparation of the October 1 referendum, Juan Antonio Ramírez Sunyer, changed "the course of the History" of the Spanish State, by deciding to tyake up a judicial career. He wrote this in a letter of acknowledgement and farewell published in several media, and delivered on Friday, two days before the judge died. In the letter, Lesmes praises the "verve" and "courage" that Sunyer, in his opinion, has shown in "many difficult circumstances" throughout his professional life "for the simple - and magnificent - fact of fulfilling the duty" that public servants have. The text describes as "heroic" the fulfillment of this duty in a "hostile" environment.

The letter, with a warm and heart-felt tone, recalls that Ramírez Sunyer decided to change the course of his career as an engineer for that of a judge. "In doing so you changed the very course of the History of our country. And herein resides part of your greatness", remarked Lesmes, who also chairs the Supreme Court. Lesmes affirmed that this decision meant the judge having to pass a very hard examination in order to "to serve Justice", a shift that must have needed "verve and energy on an unheard-of scale". "You have given ample poof of this verve and this prowess in many difficult circumstances that you have faced during your professional life for the simple - and magnificent - fact of fulfilling the duty that all of us public servers have", affirms the letter, before adding: "this fulfillment acquires heroic dimensions when all that surrounds you becomes hostile". In this sense, Lesmes has valued that Ramírez Sunyer has managed to face up to "the physical setbacks", "animosity or the bitterness" that he had to witness "so often". "I convey to you my deepest respect and admiration for your person", said the president of the General Council. "Thank you for everything, for being what you are and for defending the rule of law and Justice without hesitation or fear in such convulsed times. You will always be a reference for me and for all the colleagues in our profession", he concluded.